A Vet's Review of Embrace Pet Insurance
2023

• According to their sample policy: "If a Pet has had Undiagnosed masses prior to the end of the Waiting Period, any mass, or condition where a mass is a Clinical Sign, is not covered, including those caused by cancer. If the cause of the mass that occurred prior to the end of the Waiting Period can be diagnostically narrowed down via cytology, un-related conditions may be covered."
  
  Potential buyers of this policy need to understand that if their pet has a mass (tumor) anywhere in/on the body that is pre-existing or appears during the waiting period, they will need to get a diagnosis of that mass (paid for out of their own pocket) in order for unrelated tumors to possibly be covered after the waiting period. This information was deep within the sample policy. Also, not all masses can be diagnosed with cytology alone. Sometimes histopathology is needed which may be more expensive.
• 6 months waiting period for orthopedic conditions in dogs. Based on their website, this waiting period for orthopedic conditions may apply only to dogs. (Contact Embrace to confirm) (Waiting Period may vary by state)
  
  While the orthopedic waiting period can be waived with a healthy orthopedic exam completed within the first 30 days of policy period, please note that a Vet may want additional diagnostics (e.g. x-rays, ultrasound, etc) before they will feel comfortable certifying this. The cost of this will be out of your own pocket.
• Dental coverage for accidents and illness is limited

• Strong underwriter
• Reimbursements are calculated by subtracting the deductible before applying the reimbursement percentage.
• Offers a variety of annual max payouts that will meet most people's "Worst Case Scenario Costs"
• Provides comprehensive coverage in the 5 important areas as part of the base plan:
  1. Chronic disease
  2. Continual coverage for chronic disease
  3. Hereditary/congenital conditions
  4. Cancer
  5. Breed specific conditions

• According to their sample policy: "If a Pet has had Undiagnosed masses prior to the end of the Waiting Period, any mass, or condition where a mass is a Clinical Sign, is not covered, including those caused by cancer. If the cause of the mass that occurred prior to the end of the Waiting Period can be diagnostically narrowed down via cytology, un-related conditions may be covered."
  
  Potential buyers of this policy need to understand that if their pet has a mass (tumor) anywhere in/on the body that is pre-existing or appears during the waiting period, they will need to get a diagnosis of that mass (paid for out of their own pocket) in order for unrelated tumors to possibly be covered after the waiting period. This information was deep within the sample policy. Also, not all masses can be diagnosed with cytology alone. Sometimes histopathology is needed which may be more expensive.
  
  Masses are very common in veterinary medicine. If a potential buyer misses this information and/or can't afford to get a diagnosis, they may end up with a policy that doesn't cover any malignant or non-malignant masses (tumors) after the waiting period.
• Their Bilateral Conditions policy is stated in their FAQ section on their website. The issue is that it doesn't clearly list the medical conditions that fall under this exclusion. There are so many body systems that inhabit both sides of the body (e.g. eyes, ears, knees, hips, front paws, elbows, toenails, kidneys, lungs, femur, etc). Not clearly defining which systems they are referring to leaves a big door open that could allow them to deem something as a bilateral exclusion whenever they see fit. Letting customers know what specific conditions and/or systems fall under this exclusion would be much more transparent. Even if they want the definition of Bilateral Conditions to include all body systems that inhabit both sides of the body, it is important that they clearly let the customer know this. Saying "not limited to..." just isn't enough.
• Based on their pre-existing conditions policy, signs and symptoms can be used to denote something as pre-existing. As with all pet insurance companies that use this wording, I have concerns that this can be used to deny claims even when these previous signs/symptoms are not directly related to the disease or condition currently in question.

• Make sure you research what customers are saying about the company. A company may have the 5 components that should be part of a pet insurance plan, but the company may not be a hit with customers. Sites to check include but are not limited to: BBB.org, Yelp.com and PetInsuranceReview.com. Things to look for include but are not limited to: How fast are payments paid?, What are customers saying about the pre-existing conditions policy?, How often are claims denied and for what reason?, What is the customer service experience like?, Are there issues with premium increases?
• Check with your state's Department of Insurance to see if any complaints have been filed for the company you are interested in.
• Make sure you understand what the waiting periods are.
• Make sure you understand their bilateral conditions policy.
• Make sure you understand any requirements that you must adhere to to maintain coverage.
• Make sure you read the terms and conditions to get a thorough understanding of all exclusions.
• Make sure you understand when and by how much your premium can increase.
• If you change plan levels, there is a possibility that all medical conditions present under the old plan will be considered pre-existing in the new plan. Make sure you ask the company if this is the case.
• For some companies, pre-existing conditions can be based on signs and symptoms alone, a diagnosis is not needed. For example, if your pet had a cough before you applied for pet insurance and this cough was discussed and written in the pet's medical record, there is the possibility that all future cough conditions, no matter what the cause, would be considered pre-existing - even if there was no treatment given. Make sure you ask the company if this is the case.
• Pet insurance companies are businesses. The top priority of any business is to make a profit for their stakeholders. Pet insurance companies can and may change your rates and terms to meet that top priority. A change of business ownership or underwriters can also be a catalyst for changes in your rates and terms.
  
  When you purchase pet insurance make sure you have a realistic understanding of this and how it can affect you.

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